The Heartbeat of Georgia

We feature some of our favorite superhero women as they tell their origin stories in this episode. We go to small town Oklahoma with  Holly Cole  to see the devious *spark* of creation she had at a young age and then travel to Haiti to ask Christele Parham how she got her name.   In between, we interview Wayne Woodard about his businesses and how being an entrepreneur is kind of like being a super...

In this episode, we try to let our storytellers speak for themselves, whether they've been a victim of violence or whether they feel conflicted on their role. All these stories come from the Nefarious edition of our live show, and feature Carl Myers discussing his life and journey in prison, Tonja Khabir talking about a trauma occurring to her a world away while working at a USAID program, and...

Sometimes, answering a phone call or an evening folding clothes in the laundry room can make your heart drop into the floor. In this episode, we tackle matters of the heart - self-discovery through romance, breakups, heart-pounding decisions, and coming out. Our featured voices include a reprise of Mariana Furlin 's tale of sisterhood, Lauren Beaty 's story dedicated to her daughters, Lace...

Talking about racism and anti-Blackness can be hard to do, but these stories talk about the wounds created when two men first see hatred face to face. Our featured voices include Weston Stroud from "Macon Magic" and Jerry Anderson from our "Blossoming" performance as well as Nancy Cleveland. The Heartbeat of Georgia is hosted by Koryn Young and Julia Morrison and episodes are p...

The episode we had planned was appropriately titled "Spirits Among Us." We didn't know then that one of our featured storytellers from our Grand Opera House season and a dear friend to all of Macon, Steven Fulbright , would end up leaving us far before his time last summer. We dedicate this episode and the refresh of our podcast series for its second season for Steven, on the day a m...

It was Shakespeare who said that all the world's a stage, but the weird performative nature of our lives feels all the more real in the time of wearing real masks and taking on new roles. In this episode, we discuss performance, both in costume inside the theatre and in real life playing an unexpected role in someone else's drama. Our featured voices include Southern storyteller and multi-tal...

It's hard to exist within the hive. In this episode, we examine the anxieties, concerns, and most of all, affections that come from orbiting around the sun with other people. We have two supreme socialites to share with you today. Artist and optimist Randy Heart is now known as the "Love Man" for his work always radiating light and joy, but this personality was made, not born, after a childho...

It's not often that you can see a legend walking down Cherry Street. But Newton Collier , a fixture at community events, performances, and simply around downtown Macon, once used to tour the country as a musician with some of the greatest stars of his day. And when he was around, there were lots of legends walking around Macon - like Otis Redding, who taught Newt about the business when he was jus...

"I'm here, I'm shining, I'm wonderful." We decided to release a bonus episode to celebrate the last day of Women's History Month with two stories of women who gained their sense of confidence in very different ways.  Brittny Johnson tells a brave story about a traumatic day that digs up the history of the women in her family, and how she decides to break the cycle. Meanwhile, Ansley Booker &n...

When you move on to a new phase or stage of life, you don't forget your past. The storytellers in today's episode have a legacy and roots that go back generations and define who they are in Macon. DeMarcus Beckham is well known today for his work as an activist for LGBTQ+ and civil rights, but his grandmother Esther Mae taught him who he is in Zebulon, Georgia between baking and humming spirituals...

The storytellers in today's episodes are both visionaries who want to build new things and transform. In fact, just in the past week Tiara Ponce won a Cultural Award from Macon Arts Alliance for her "Block the Hate" project in front of Macon's Confederate statue while also being a highlighted artist for Black History Month at the Tubman Museum. "In order to make change, you have to start with resp...

"With hope, you find love. With hope, you have dignity. With hope, you are royalty. Just like our dear Lady Gaga, I am royalty, and so are each of you." So Angie Coggins told our live audience in describing navigating her relationship with family while staying true to herself. Meanwhile, Angel Colquitt embraces the bravery of uncertainty, asking their best friend, their lovers, and their inner mon...

Mariana Furlin has the best front porch in Macon. Really. She embodies the spirit of a porch - welcoming, gracious, a breath of fresh air, weathered and ready for more. In fact, we've included a picture of her porch in our show notes - a place where many shoes have been kicked off and tears have been shed. Today we have a single story from our September 26th event embracing the theme of “Macon Mag...

Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Heartbeat of Georgia. Go ahead and relax. Imagine century old homes with gingerbread trim and heart pine floors. Some of them are falling apart. Biscuit sandwiches with pimento cheese. Served in a no-frills dining room with linoleum floors and hard plastic chairs. A square named after Rosa Parks in direct sight of a tribute to Confederate women. Yoshino cher...

There’s a traceable history 17,000 years long that swirls into today’s columned front porches and contradictions, charms and challenges that would take too long to call out in any single story. So. we have a few for you. This show will aim to deconstruct Macon magic through the voices of the people who’ve been here. Welcome to The Heartbeat of Georgia . This is a storytelling podcast that wil...